At Milan Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2026, the scene is in full transformation. Between textile experiments and unexpected collaborations, designers are redefining the boundaries of women’s wardrobes. From Etro’s dramatic opulence to KNWLS’s sporty armor and N°21’s rebellious layering, here’s a look at five brands that stood out this season.
Blumarine : Dark romanticism
For his second collection at the helm of Blumarine, David Koma continues to reinvent the house’s Y2K heritage while injecting his own vision. The brand’s iconic butterfly, joined here by the dragonfly hovers over a collection imagined as a nocturnal escape. Dresses are adorned with airy ruffles, delicate transparencies, and an almost unreal lightness, conveying a sensuality full of nuance.
Inspired by the concept of dark romanticism, Koma delivers a summer interpretation. The silhouettes evoke a nocturnal creature, both fragile and powerful. Accessories set the tone: cascading crosses, XXL chokers, oversized earrings. Gothic touches that enhance the collection’s mysterious aura.
Etro: Movement as Mantra
For Spring-Summer 2026, Etro presents Etro Flux, a collection designed as an ode to movement. On the runway, Marco De Vincenzo brings this vision to life by fusing prints and textures into a fluid, almost unstable language.
The mantra of the moment seems to be a bold “more is more.” Dresses appear exaggerated, as if several designs had been stitched together. The volumes are wide, spectacular, and theatrical. Bags, frayed to the point of excess, add to the sense of constant motion.
The prints, rich and striking, recall old tapestries and resonate with the show’s powerful soundtrack. The visual climax: huge semi-structured hats draped over the models’ heads, sometimes pushing identity to the brink of disappearance under the excess of fabric.
KNWLS : A Second-Skin Armor
For the first time, London-based KNWLS founded by Charlotte Knowles and Alexandre Arsenault, presented in Milan. To mark the occasion, the brand unveiled a new collaboration with Nike, titled Synergy, perfectly capturing the blend of KNWLS’s body-conscious aesthetic with Nike’s iconic style.
The collection evokes a kind of sportswear armor, designed for a combative woman. The palette: khaki, beige, brown nods to the military, while the garments hug the body with precision, never restricting it.
Among the standout pieces: a sneaker-ballet flat inspired by the Air Max Muse. As for the bags, they’re upcycled from Nike branding, with a signature detail, a recycled sole used as ornament.
No. 21, layering as a language
At N°21, Alessandro Dell’Acqua’s collection paints the portrait of a confident woman. One who mends, layers, transforms. In short, a woman who dresses by her own rules.
Layering is the cornerstone of this vision: the layers are plentiful, unpredictable, sometimes improbable. Sheer fabrics, ruffles, checks, and bold colours coexist in a joyful, controlled disorder.
A Multi-Faceted Femininity at The Attico
For their new collection, Gilda Ambrosio and Georgia Tordini celebrate a woman in motion, full of contrasts. Long trench coats are paired with skirts crafted from shirts, with collars reappearing at the back. Straight, low-waisted skirts, demure at first glance are worn with just a bra and a tailored jacket. Sheer lace appears on select pieces, adding a touch of understated sensuality.
On the accessories front, the brand made a bold statement with the launch of the “La Passeggiata Mini” bag, available immediately after the show. This deliberately crumpled, deconstructed take on the signature model plays with the codes of classical beauty only to subvert them. An aesthetic gamble that fits seamlessly into a well-crafted strategy: sparking instant desire by capitalizing on the show’s momentum.
